Running and Reading

As you put together your summer reading list, these three new titles from Rodale—parent company of Runner’s World—offer something for every runner.

Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter by running coach Budd Coates presents a rhythmic breathing method aimed at improving performance and reducing injury. Veteran running journalist Scott Douglas tackles the tricky subject of minimalism in The Runner’s World Complete Guide to Minimalist and Barefoot Running. And in honor of the 35th anniversary of the publication of George Sheehan’s indelible Running & Being, Rodale has reissued the classic book with a new introduction by sports writer and Olympic marathoner Kenny Moore.

Here’s a closer look at the three:

Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter, by Budd Coates, MS, and Claire Kowalchik

The genesis of the book reaches back to the late 1970s, when Budd Coates was a chronically injured collegiate runner. In search of a solution, he began digging through scientific literature and stumbled upon a study that found that running’s impact was at its greatest when your foot landed at the same time you exhaled. Exhaling relaxes the diaphragm, meaning your core becomes less stable, so when the foot hits the ground, impact forces increase. If one side of the body continuously absorbs more stress, it increases injury risk. Coates noted his recurring injury was on his left side, and he started developing a breathing pattern that allowed him to alternate which foot he landed on when he exhaled.

That method, developed over many years, became the rhythmic breathing approach described in the book, and Coates lays out a strong case for its effectiveness. He explains why and how the method reduces injury risk in an easy-to-understand manner. He also dives into rhythmic breathing's potential to deepen concentration and foster relaxation, drawing parallels between his method and the breath work practiced in yoga and meditation.

The bulk of the book, however, is a step-by-step guide on learning to breathe better, first while lying on the floor, then while running on the roads. Coates, a 2:13 marathoner and Rodale’s longtime senior director of employee fitness, matches what he calls his “rhythmic breathing effort” to perceived exertion and key workouts to help runners better utilize the method throughout training. There are detailed training programs from the 5-K to the marathon, chapters on breathing and racing, and profiles of runners who have improved their performance using rhythmic breathing. Get it here

The Runner’s World Complete Guide to Minimalist and Barefoot Running: How to Make the Healthy Transition to Lightweight Shoes and Injury-Free Running, by Scott Douglas

In this timely book, running journalist Scott Douglas offers a thoughtful discussion on the widely debated topic of barefoot and minimalist running. He addresses all the big, prickly questions—on form, shoes, injury, training—with reason, clarity and splashes of subtle humor, while also offering easy-to-implement advice on transitioning to minimalist footwear.

Most runners are likely familiar with the barefoot-minimalist debate. Proponents believe running in less-bulky shoes encourages natural running form and lowers injury risk. Opponents caution that barely-there shoes can increase, not decrease, the potential for injury. Douglas, who has written five books on running and is the editor of Runner’s World Newswire, explains why minimalism matters, what the science says and doesn’t say, and takes readers on a quick journey through minimalism history (it’s been around for years, as the title and cover image’s nod to Jim Fixx’s 1977 classic, The Complete Book of Running, alludes to). The book also offers a clear purpose for the movement, summed up here in a discussion about what defines a minimalist shoe—is it the almost-barefoot models like Vibram FiveFingers, or less built-up shoes such as the Saucony Kinvara?

“Who’s right?” Douglas asks. “They all are. Remember, minimalism and barefooting are means to the end of better running form. If you find that a given shoe within the broad brush of minimalism helps you to achieve that goal, then that’s a minimalist model for you. Rigid classifications and debates about what is and isn’t a minimalist shoe miss the point of why runners should pay attention to the matter in the first place.”

The book is packed with useful tips on everything from selecting a shoe to evaluating whether your body is ready for minimalist models. It also includes two approaches to safely transitioning to minimalist footwear (which could also be used as smart, post-injury approach to returning to running, regardless of your shoe). Readers meet minimalists throughout the book in mini runner-profiles that offer a glimpse at the reality of transitioning, and the closing chapters outline a strength program to help you stay healthy while running in minimalist shoes. Get it here

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Running & Being: The Total Experience, 35th Anniversary Edition, by Dr. George Sheehan

Old-timers will smile at the mention of George Sheehan, a cardiologist who, through his columns in Runner’s World in the '70s and '80s, became known as the philosopher of sport. If you’re encountering his writing for the first time, author and Olympian Kenny Moore’s introduction offers a pointed summary. “[Sheehan] gathered his 10 years of essays and wrote this amazing book—part memoir, part philosophy, part medical advice, but mainly pouring out his heart on the deepest aspects of human nature.”

Consider this your bedtime or beach read, a book you can get lost in for a while as Sheehan takes you on his journey of revelation and personal growth through running. He writes about courage, competition, training and racing, bringing in Picasso and Shakespeare, and God and the Greeks at various turns. He discusses the athletic life and the essential interplay between mind and body. It's a fun, poignant exploration. To read Sheehan is to delight in the sport and see how running reaches into, and beyond, all of us. Get it here

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